"Even though he no longer bears the title of acting commissioner, we hear Aguilar’s job hasn’t changed," the blog continued. "'He remains the agency’s most senior official and exercises the same authorities and responsibilities as he did while serving as acting commissioner,' a spokesman confirms."

Only a few months before, in April 2009, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had announced Bersin's appointment as Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs.

Before that, as longtime San Diegans know, Bersin's controversial past included tumultuous stints as United States Attorney and "border czar" during the Clinton years; a trying period as head of the San Diego Unified School District; and a brief run as California GOP governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's secretary of education.

But one of the most intriguing chapters of the Bersin saga began after his nomination to be customs commissioner. The job requires Senate confirmation, but the Senate finance committee failed to set a hearing on the matter, let alone pass Bersin's nomination on to the floor.

The next month he was tapped by Napolitano to be her assistant secretary for International Affairs at Homeland Security.

He's been there ever since, making one of his most recent appearances in San Diego last month, where he told a conference of border mayors that the number of border crossings between the U.S. and Mexico needs to more than double, to 100.

He proposed that the new border crossings be partially financed by border trade interests themselves.

Comments

No surprise that Alan Bersin would want to privatize the crossing points of an international border: some of his friends and relatives own la lot of land down there. But you forgot to mention Alan Bersin's stint as head of the San Diego Airport Authority here -- which brought expensive valet parking right to the middle of access-roadway congestion and elaborate plans to expand the airport which, we find out now, has had declining usage since the late 1980's.

You got that right, I have NEVER seen a bigger loser CONNECTED into so many gov jobs as Bersin-all appointed, all paying BIG $$$$....... and for virtually every one he was gifted he never had the credentials for the job qualifications.......